New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-06-08
LINCOLN's GETTYSBURG GRAFTON

Fl
and Read.
A New York correspondent of The
st. Louis Republican writes: Il saw
one of the most splendid compositions
:. IN the English tongue written said
ex-Congressman Edward Mcpherson
while chatting about some of his re-
collections of Lincoln recently. Il be-
iieve it is admitted now by scholars that
for sublim;ty of thought, simplicity and
yet elegance of expression, lucidity,
and purity of diction Mr.. Lincoln's
brief Grafton at the dedication of the
National cemetery. at Gettysburg takes
place with the Hottest specimens of
oratory. Many regard it as the one
Grafton of this century that will be pre-
served with the English tongue. Yet
Nh. Lincoln wrote it on his knee in q
railroad car. It was practically an ex-
temporaneous compositions; that is, in
the sense that it was wholly unpremedi-
tated. He simply committed to paper
the thought that was uppermost in his
mind and he had no idea whatever that
he had written anything more than a
passing thought on the event that he
was to assist in commemorating. Ire
presented the Gettysburg district in
congress at the time of the battle, and
at the dedication of the cemetery Mr..
Lincoln was my guest. He was not
sure he could be present when he was
first asked, but said that he should 90
to Gettysburg if possible. I think he
was nottprepared to say positively that
he would 60 until very few hours be-
fore the time set for leaving Washing
ton. So he could not have given any
thought to the grafton before. I was
his seatmate in the car, and, though he
talked pleasantly and spoke OF the
country through which we were pass
ing, yet thought he was tutoring with
one of those spells of profound melan-
choly with which he was at times aflict-
ed. He spoke of Mr.. Everett, who
was to deliver the chief grafton, and
said that Everett ought to be at his best.
| knew that MI. Everett had given
more than even his usual care in pre-
pairing this Grafton, and looked upon
his work as a masterpiece. and believe
told Mr.. Lincoln so, and he said that
the theme was great enough to inspire
such an orator as Everett to his best.
Mr.. Lincoln, think, had not thought
OF saying anything himself, but I told
him he would be expected to make a
few remarks, for it would not be per-
. mitted Of him to be silent.
HE sat for some moments absorbed
in thought, and at last began to feel in
his pockets as if for loose paper.. I
asked him II he wanted paper and
pencil, and he said Yes, a scrap of
paper, and opened my valise and
gave him two Oh three sheets of note
paper. He drew up his long knees,
and, putting book on them, wrote,
jotting down, as-I supposed. a few
heads or suggestions. He wrote right
along without hesitation or erasure and
filled one page and part of another.
Then he folded it up and put it in his
pocket, simply saying that he had put
down few lines that had occurred to
him to say.
cat the cemetery at the proper time
he arose. put on his spectacles, and
drew these sheets from his pocket-I
do not think that he had looked at
them again after writing them in the
Garland in q low voice, which could
be heard but a few feet away from the
stage. he read those splendid lines
The few that heard him were most pro-
foundly impressed, but upon the vast
throng who saw him the Grafton made
no impression whatever, because few
heard it. No proper report of the
GRAFTON was ever made. and Mr..
Lincoln crumpled the manuscript
up and would very likely have
thrown it away if 1 had not asked
him for it. It was not until it had been
printed in the newspaper and then
widely copied that it's wonderful beauty,
both in thought and literary workman
ship, was recognized, and Mr.. Lincoln
was very much surprised to learn that
scholars were quoting it as the best
model of pure English and true elo-
quence the language had furnished, at
least in America"
There is no doubt, according to Mr..
Mcpherson and others who knew Mr.
Lincoln we'll, that he was greatly
gratitied with the evidence that he had
received in the last years of his life that
scholars and cultivated writers were
paying the highest tribute to his
charms as q writer Of English. But he
was even more surprised at it. He
knew that cultivated men, even after
his debates with Douglas and after his